phenotypic plasticity in plants

Plant Species Biology (2002) 17, 85–88

© 2002 The Society for the Study of Species Biology

Blackwell Science, LtdOxford, UKPSBPlant Species Biology1441 0745The Society for the Study of Species Biology, 2002

17

2 & 3December 2002

083PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY IN PLANTS

C. D. SCHLICHTING10.1046/j.1441 0745.2002.00083.x

EditorialBEES SGML

Correspondence: Carl D. Schlichting, Ecology & EvolutionaryBiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs CT 06269-3043, USA.Email: [email protected]

Phenotypic plasticity in plants

CARL D. SCHLICHTING

Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs CT 06269-3043, USA.

Introduction

In the 1970s and 1980s, evolutionary biologists were fix-ated on cataloging purely genetic variation—at first withisozymes, then with any other suitable acronym (RAPD,RFLP, VNTR . . . ), and finally with h

2

(heritability). Itseemed at times as though the phenotype itself was oflittle importance. However, those workers who did notforget that, in fact, it is the phenotype that naturalselection ‘sees’, continued to study the other source ofphenotypic variation, the environment. By the 1990s,the pendulum started shifting back towards a morebalanced perspective, with an increased appreciation thatthe phenotype is molded by an interplay of genetic andenvironmental effects.

I suspect that the study of phenotypic plasticity playedan important part in that reversal, and botanical research-ers led the way (top two in citations per year before 1994,Table 1). In fact, the study of plasticity has continued toexpand rapidly in the last decade. A scan of the citationdatabase

Web of Science

shows that the number of papersusing the phrase

phenotypic plasticity

has steadilyincreased from 138 (per million documents) to 167 and225 (in 1994, 1998 and halfway through 2002, respec-tively).

In addition to in depth studies of the usual abiotic sus-pects—that is, light, temperature, water and nutrients(e.g. Stuefer

et al

. 1996; Weinig 2000; Lankinen 2001;Meyre

et al

. 2001; Wahl

et al

. 2001)—now studies routinelygo beyond to investigate biotic environmental influenceson the phenotype including the roles of competitors,predators and pollinators (e.g. Vogler

et al

. 1998; Fornoni& Núñez-Farfán 2000; Imbert & Ronce 2001; Van Dam &Baldwin 2001). Studies have also become increasinglysophisticated in examining the adaptive nature of plasticresponses (Schmitt

et al

. 1995; Tucic

et al

. 1998; Winn 1999;Clauss & Venable 2000; Donohue

et al

. 2001; Van Kleunen& Fischer 2001).

The links between gene regulation, physiological mech-anisms and morphological plasticity are also receivingmore scrutiny, as scientists investigate the question ofhow much information plants can extract from the envi-ronment around them (Borland

et al

. 1998; Pedrol

et al

.2000; Emery

et al

. 2001; Grime & Mackey 2002; Forde 2002;Pepper

et al

. 2002; Weinig 2002; Schlichting & Smith 2002).A second catalyst for the increased attention on plastic-

ity, and one which will continue to grow in importance,is the re-emergence of interest in the ecology and evolu-tion of plant development (e.g. Matthies 1990; Jones 1992;Diggle 2002; Diggle 1994; Jones 1995; Pigliucci & Schlich-ting 1995; Gedroc

et al

. 1996; Pigliucci 1997; Pigliucci 1998;Sachs 2002). Phenotypic plasticity clearly has its originsin development and this has led to studies of a variety ofissues that examine the impacts of both external and inter-nal environmental conditions on growth and develop-ment. For example,

How do environmental effects on thematernal plant influence offspring development?

(Schaal &Leverich 1984; Roach & Wulff 1987; Schmid & Dolt 1994;Schmitt 1995; Sills & Nienhuis 1995; Lacey 1996; Sultan1996; Donohue & Schmitt 1998; Munir

et al

. 2000; Agrawal2001) and, do prior fruit and flower production affect thelikelihood of subsequent growth and reproductiveevents? (Stephenson

et al

. 1988; Diggle 1994; Diggle 1997;Avila-Sakar

et al

. 2001).The four papers in this issue take distinctive perspec-

tives on plasticity: all are by researchers interested inexpanding the limits of what we know about how andwhy plasticity evolves. In each case the authors take acloser look at a phenomenon of current interest, and askus to perhaps reevaluate the typical interpretation. Kudoh

et al

. offer a fresh angle on the question of the evolutionof optimal flowering time by examining the role that plantresponse to internal factors may play. Murren examinesphenotypic integration in plants from the perspectives ofenvironmental influences on trait correlations and the rela-tionship between the genotype and phenotype. Poultonand Winn tackle the thorny question of detecting costs ofplasticity, with an empiric investigation of selection onphenotypes and plasticity of

Brassica

plants. Wright andMcConnaughay make the case for clearly distinguishing

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C . D . S C H L I C H T I N G


Plant Species Biology

, 17, 85–88

environmental effects on development from effects thatare related to plant size or developmental stage.

Acknowledgments

I thank Professor Shoichi Kawano for the originalinvitation to bring together these papers, and ProfessorToshihiko Hara,


’s editor, for hispatience in waiting for me to deliver the manuscripts.Finally, I am deeply appreciative of the efforts of theexternal referees: their insightful reviews of the papersmade my job far easier. They will, for obvious reasons,remain anonymous.

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Table 1

Phenotypic plasticity review arti-cles with over 100 total citations

Author Year Total CitesCites/yearPre-1994

Cites/year1994 -

Bradshaw A.D.* 1965 872

#

23.5 50.1Schlichting C.D.* 1986 403 20.4 30.6Stearns S.C. 1989 306 17.5 27.8West Eberhard M.J. 1989 313 13.0 30.7Dodson S. 1989 150 10.0 12.9Sultan S.E.* 1987 241 9.5 21.6Harvell C.D. 1990 197 9.0 20.0Smith-Gill S.J. 1983 166 8.7 9.3Caswell H. 1983 121 7.8 5.1Grime J.P.

et al

. 1986 141 7.1 10.7Moran N.A. 1992 114 4.0 12.9Shapiro A.M. 1976 106 3.4 5.8Scheiner S.M. 1993 245 – 27.2Via S.

et al

. 1995 172 – 24.6McNamara J.M. & Houston A.I. 1996 116 – 19.3

*botanical emphasis#Bradshaw’s data are calculated since 1975.

P H E N O T Y P I C P L A S T I C I T Y I N P L A N T S

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